Valley of Aroma and Amor
by Marina Rose
Summary: World Class Chef Cathrine Addenell has decided to quit her job at the Joja Hotel and start over in the farm her Grandfather left her in Stardew Valley. In her time in the Valley she will foster friendships and maybe even find romance?
1. The Beginning

"Order up!" A waiter called out from behind the counter as he posted a piece of paper on the wall. Catherine rushed from her stool, picked it up and gave it a read.

'1x Caviar Aglio Olio Spaghetti

2x T-Bone Cheese Steak (Medium-rare)

1x Rice Pudding w/ grilled lobster

1x Addenell Bruschetta (4-Serv)

4x Peach Ice Cream'

Catherine gave a nod. Seeing that somebody ordered her famous bruschetta, she knew that this was her job.

23-Year old Catherine Addenell works in a 5-Star hotel kitchen as a chef in Zuzu city. She wasn't just a regular cook, but was known as the greatest and youngest master chef in all of Ferngill Republic. She had emerald eyes accompanied with brunette hair and a slightly tanned bright skin. Born from a poor family in the capital, Arcadia, she had grown interest in videogames and cooking since she was eight years old. With the approval of her middle school principal, she was able to attend a highly prestigious culinary school when she was thirteen thanks to her excellent grades and scholarships. Both of her parents have unfortunately deceased, leaving Catherine's 21-year old brother Gabriel the only family member alive. Although Gabriel wasn't interested in cooking, he now works as the prime bartender in the Olde Smith Club, a very popular club where many famous authors hang out.

Catherine was about to light the stove to start cooking when she heard another "Order Up!" from behind the counter. Thinking that this wasn't her job, she gave a simple shrug as she walked to the giant refrigerator where all of the ingredients were stored. Just as he opened it, a middle-aged stout chef approached her.

"Ma'am?" The chef called.

"Yes, Mr. Belinski?" Catherine asked.

"The latest order is Priority-One. We need you here." Priority-One. That is what the chefs call the orders from VIPs.

"That's strange." Catherine said, scratching her head. "I've never heard of any news about VIPs coming in our hotel today."

"Well, it's… uh… hard to explain." Mr. Belinski hesitated, making the master chef sigh.

"Look, I really need to start on my order. Whoever's behind mine had ordered the bruschetta! You know that I don't want to disappoint anyone who orders this!"

"…But he's the representative of the Joja Corporation!" Mr. Belinski said.

"He's… WHAT?" Catherine was shocked. The hotel she works in is owned and sponsored by the Joja Corporation, thus placing the nail in the coffin. This was the main reason of why almost all of the food ingredients weren't fresh. 'No wonder this order is Priority-One.' She thought, and then opened her mouth. "May I see the order?" She asked. The chef handed her the paper that had the representative's order.

'1x T-Bone Steak w/ Fois Gras + Truffles (Medium)

1x Cream of Lobster'

"That's it?" Catherine asked, flabbergasted. How the hell is this an order from a VIP? The chef nodded in reply. All of this made Catherine think deeply. Her order consisted of her famous bruschetta. In fact, one of the top reasons of her fame was because of that. She hated disappointing her guests about this. In the other hand, however, the new order was from the representative of the company that sponsored her. Should she be unable to satisfy the VIP, Joja would crush her down. Despite worried about her reputation, she reminded herself of how much she hated the company, making her decision. "Mr. Belinski, can you call Iftekharul?"

"Yes, chef." Mr. Belinski complied, then turned around. "Iftekharul!"

"Yes, Mr. Belinski!" A lean, short brown-skinned man ran to the two. This was Iftekharul Haque, the 22 year-old chef from Bangladesh. He was the best student of Catherine.

"Iffy, I want you to make this order!" Catherine ordered, handing him the paper that Mr. Belinski had. Her student read it, turning his handsome face into a frown.

"Ch… chef, this is Priority-One! I… I don't think I can make this!" Iftekharul stuttered. "Besides, can you please stop calling me by that?"

"Iftekharul, you've passed all of your exams I've given and your skills nearly match mine! I'm sure that even Gordon Ramsey would approve your skills! If you say no, I'll always call of Iffy from now on!" After a short pause, the brown man started to hesitate. "Time's gold here!" Catherine added.

"…Yes, chef." Iftekharul finally said, taking the order. "Damn, how am I going to do this?" He said to himself as he collected his ingredients and walked to his stove.

"I guess that solves everything." Catherine said to Mr. Belinski.

"I guess, chef." The stout man said before walking back to the cutting board he was working on. Nodding, Catherine quickly pulled out her required ingredients and walked to the stove.

With the last piece of bruschetta, Steak pieces, rice pudding and spaghetti plated, Catherine rang the bell after placing the plates on the counter. Soon enough, a waitress swiftly placed the plates on a tray and zoomed to the table. Catherine took the liberty to observe the waitress as she walked to her destination. The waitress stopped at a table with four people: One middle-aged woman with red hair, a dark-skinned middle-aged man, a dark-skinned teenage girl and a young raven-haired man with the skin as pale as the middle-aged woman. She tried to concentrate on the food, but for some reason, her mind forced her eyes on the raven-haired man. 'Why, brain?' Catherine scolded herself just as a familiar voice called her.

"Miss Addenell?" The voice called. It was Iftekharul. "I, uh… need your evaluation?"

"Of course! Hang on, Iffy!" Catherine chirped before jogging to the dark-skinned man. Iftekharul's reaction to his nickname made everyone in the kitchen laugh. "What's up?" The master chef asked when she was beside her student.

"Chef, I need to know if I did this properly." Iftekharul nervously said. Nodding, Catherine took a small sip of the cream of lobster. The two things that made Catherine special was her very sensitive sense of smell and taste. She used this as an advantage to test her food to perfection.

"This… this is exactly like how I make it!" Catherine complimented, taking a nibble of a piece of steak. "This too! Iffy, you're improving!"

"Thank you, chef, but please, enough with the nickname!" Iftekharul grunted. "I'll send this to the VIP." Catherine happily nodded as a waiter tapped her shoulder.

"Chef, table-13 asked for your appearance." The waiter said. Catherine's smile immediately disappeared as she walked out of the kitchen.

The waiter guided Catherine to the table that he was talking about. The table had four people… 'Wait, they're the guys that gave the order!' She thought as she placed her hands behind her, looking as formal as possible. "Is there a problem, sir?" She asked the dark-skinned man, hiding her worry. However, as she looked at the faces of him and the red-haired woman, it seemed to have disappeared.

"I just want to say how delicious your bruschetta is!" The Dark-skinned man complimented. "Today's my wife's birthday and you've sure made her day!"

"Why thank you, sir. It's my specialty to satisfy people!" Catherine replied, smiling.

"No wonder why you're the best chef in the country! Isn't that right, Sebby?" The woman asked the raven-haired man.

"Mom, not in public!" The raven-haired man hissed, and then faced Catherine. "Anyway, it's really good!" he complimented, giving thumbs up as he munched on a bruschetta. This all made her blush followed by a warm sensation flowing around her heart. What was this feeling? When she saw the bruschetta plate empty, she saw the raven-haired man going for his cheese steak. "Sir, sh…should I c…cut it for you?" She involuntarily asked, walked to the man. 'DAMNIT, CATHERINE!' She screamed in the inside. However, the man nodded with a smile and placed his fork and knife down for her to use. As she cut his steak, her eyes couldn't help but veer to his, making Catherine almost miss the steak entirely. In the end, she managed to pull it off, making the raven-haired man smile and blush.

"Thank you." The man said.

"All in a day's work, sir." Catherine said, trying to hide her rosy cheeks. Just as she was being showered by compliments from the woman about her spaghetti, she was startled by a sudden yell. Catherine and her four guests turned to the source: A short stout man with black hair and glasses wearing a tuxedo was yelling at… Iftekharul?

"How DARE you make me this garbage?! How are you even hired in our hotel?! You should be deported back to wherever you came from and work in a brick factory!" The man shouted at Catherine's student. She noticed Iftekharul trying his best to not cry.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience." Catherine apologized to the family and quickly walked to the stout man. "Is there a problem, sir?" She asked. Immediately, the rage-drowned face of the stout man turned into a smile once he saw her, making her furious.

"Oh, if it isn't Master Chef Addenell! This person made a terrible mistake at my food and I was…. Scolding him." The man said. Catherine nodded as she secretly inspected the man. This man wa Morris Padelaski, the so-called representative of Joja Corporation of Zuzu City. She was disgusted by his face.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'll make your order again." Iftekharul apologized, taking the plates.

"No, you idiot. I want Chef Addenell to make mine!" Morris scoffed. Catherine nodded before following her student back into the kitchen.

When Catherine and her student were inside, Iftekharul burst into tears.

"I'm so sorry, chef! I've disappointed you!" He cried, covering his face.

"Iffy, it's okay! You've done nothing wrong!" Catherine assured, taking a bite of the steak he made. "Your food is perfect, as I said before!" She said with honesty. This all made her question: Why would Morris be furious about food that is almost equivalent of her level? She saw that the entire kitchen's attention was on the two. "Get back to work! Concentrate on your food!" She exclaimed.

"Yes, chef." Everybody complied before returning to their businesses.

"I'm not worthy of working with you…" Iftekharul sobbed.

"IFTEKHARUL!" Catherine shouted, startling everyone in the kitchen. "Why do you hate yourself?! I understand that this isn't your first time, but the man you've served is a complete douchebag! Everybody knows that! Isn't that right, Mr. Argonev?" She asked a chef closest to her.

"Of course, chef. He always scolds us about his food." The chef replied.

"Count me in! He threw my plate of salmon set across the carpet!" Another agreed.

"Me too!" Another added. Soon enough, nine out of ten chefs agreed.

"You see, Iftekharul? You're not the only victim of Morris! Keep your chin up!" Catherine said. "I have to prepare my table's dessert."

"Th… thank you, chef." Iftehkarul replied, wiping his tears.

"Now, remember that you're my most favorite student! Come on, you've got another order in your stove." Catherine's student nodded and walked to his station. Catherine walked to the ice-cream machine to scoop up four large globules of sweet cream and put it in four crystal bowls, finishing off with slices of peach. She placed the bowls on the counter and rang the bell. After all of this, she started cooking the T-Bone steak and Cream of Lobster for the dreaded Morris Padelaski.

It was 12 o'clock when the chefs were dismissed for the day. Catherine walked into her and her brother's house and dropped her bag on the sofa. She gave a sigh as she collapsed on her desk chair. In days like these whenever she or her students were scolded, a few rounds of videogames helped her. As she opened a drawer to look for her Playstation controller, she noticed that her controller wasn't the only thing that wasn't inside. There was a yellow envelope with a purple seal attached to it. 'Haven't I seen this before…?' Catherine thought to herself as she picked it up. She opened it and started reading.

Dear Catherine,

If you are reading this, you must be in dire need of a change.

The same thing has happened to me during my young days of being pushed around by big companies. All of this made me want to find what I have lost: Real connections between people and nature. So I dropped everything and went to the place where I truly belong: The Demeter Farm. It is located in Stardew Valley, in the southern coast of the country.

I have placed a deed to that place in this envelope. I know you will make our family proud. Good luck, Catherine. You were my favorite grandchild.

PS- If Lewis is fine, please tell him that I will miss him.

-You grandfather, Jonathan Addenell.

Catherine shifted in the envelope the find the deed that the letter was talking about in the letter. Suddenly, she remembered. This was the final gift that her grandfather had given before his departure from this world. She collapsed on the sofa and shed tears. She may love her job as a hotel chef, but her hatred to Joja was enough to strengthen her desire to go to wherever this Valley is. She immediately knew what to do. She rushed to her room and started packing her stuff, prioritizing on her computer and clothes. After thirty minutes of packing, she took her membership card of Olde Smith Club and walked out of the house. She had to contact her brother.

 **...**

 **A/N: Hey there! I'm new to this fandom! This is the collaboration between ApertureGaming011 and myself. I'm not sure when we will be able to update but we hoping you stay with us through it all! We have the first two chapters written and will be updated on a weekly schedule.**

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **TTFN~ Ta ta for now!**

 **Xoxo**

 **Marina Rose and ApertureGaming011**


	2. Gabriel

Catherine made her way to the Olde Smith Club building entrance where a bouncer definitely taller and bulkier than her stood in the doorway. "Do you have a membership card?" He asked the master chef.

"I thought you knew." Catherine replied, handing him her membership card. The bouncer took it and inspected it.

"Well, if it isn't Miss Addenell. Enjoy your stay, ma'am." The bouncer said before stepping aside. Catherine thanked him before entering the building. Unlike the concrete and blocky environment of the outside, the inside of the club building was woody and dimly lit with orange light. The area smelled like baguette bread and fermented barely. There weren't that many people inside because it was nearing midnight except for a few seniors and middle-aged men. The absence of women made Catherine question herself. The club members laughed merrily to jokes as they sipped on their cocktail glasses and beer jugs while taking bites out of food that can be commonly be found in pubs like burgers and fish n'chips. All of this, however, wasn't what Catherine was here for. She looked around thoroughly until she found what she was looking for behind the counter with beer dispensers and a large collection of exotic alcoholic beverages: A tall, handsome lean man with emerald eyes and blonde hair similar to hers. This was Gabriel Addenell, the younger brother of Catherine. The master chef approached the counter and sat on a stool as her brother wasn't facing her and was skillfully shaking a cocktail shaker. He then grabbed a glass, threw the shaker up in the air and caught it. He poured the contents: a pink liquid into the glass and finished off with a pygmy parasol on an olive.

"I'm really glad to have you around this club, bartender!" The person who received the cocktail glass complimented.

"Thank you, Mr. Von Morgensomme." Gabriel thanks before turning around, only to find Catherine sitting next to his customer. "…Cath?"

"Hello, Gabby." Catherine said with a joking smile.

"…What the hell are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in that hotel, cooking?" Gabriel asked.

"Today's quota's done, Gabby. I'm just waiting for you." Just as Catherine finished speaking, Mr. Von Morgensomme faced the master chef.

"…I presume you know our bartender, miss?" He asked.

"Yes, sir. He's my brother, Gabriel Addenell." Catherine replied.

"Addenell…? Then you're… wow, you must be the legendary Catherine Addenell, then!" Mr. Von Morgensomme said, astounded. "I am honored to see you in person!" He added, giving his hand for a handshake.

"It's an honor to meet you too, Mr. Lysander Von Morgensomme! I've read your latest bestseller, Oblivion Express." Catherine replied, seeing that Gabriel had walked away, trying to make another cocktail for another club member.

"Ah, have you? I've read about you in the Chef's Digest magazine, Miss Addenell. You have a lot of admirers and students! Say, what brought you here?"

"I'm here to talk about some family stuff with Gabriel."

"I see." The man nodded, taking a sip from his cocktail. "I say! Your brother makes the best cocktail in the city!" He complimented.

"I really want to learn from him, but he's kind of a tough nut to crack on that." Catherine replied.

"I heard that!" Gabriel shouted as he finished off his cocktail preparation and served it to his customer. He then walked to where his sister sat. "What do you want?" He grunted.

"Give me the order of the mushroom burger." Gabriel nodded by Catherine's order. "Oh, I also would like a light beer." She added.

"Heh, you're such a plebian." Gabriel mocked before turning around to the hole in the wall that links to the kitchen. "Benny, one mushroom burger meal!" He shouted.

"Got it!" A voice from the kitchen yelled back.

"Sis, didn't you even eat dinner?" The bartender asked his sister as he took a jug and poured the foamy beer from a machine.

"Why do you think I'm here, then?" Catherine asked back. Gabriel shrugged.

"You decided to become fat?"

"Go to hell."

"…says the woman who works for hell." Gabriel scoffed as he handed Catherine her beer. He was referring to Joja Corporation. "Anyway, here's your moose urine, peasant lady."

"You're serving a legend, bro." Catherine jokingly boasted. "I need to wake up at seven o'clock tomorrow." She added, taking a drink from her jug.

"Whatever. Why are you here?" Hearing her brother's question, the master chef sighed as she handed him the deed that was enclosed on their grandfather's envelope. "What's this?" He asked, reading the contents. "Wait." He paused. "This is a deed…. To a farm?"

"Yup." Catherine nodded, taking another gulp of her beer.

"Farm… farm…" Gabriel reminded himself, and then acted as if something snapped in his mind. "Isn't this grandfather's farm?"

"That's right. I'm thinking about leaving at New Years' Eve." His sister replied, checking on her phone calendar. It was 15th of Fall, 2018.

"You're going to quit your job as a hotel chef?!" Catherine nodded. "You're joking, sis! People will think you're insane! You'll lose sponsors! You'll be EVERYWHERE in the newspapers! You'll…"

"Gabriel!" Catherine shouted. "If I find a chance to escape the shackles of Joja, I'll take it. Look, Gabby. Just because I'll quit my job as a hotel chef doesn't mean that I give up cooking entirely! I'll be harvesting fresh stuff and making good food out of it! Think about it!" She said. "Hmm… maybe I can start a restaurant there…!"

"Cath, you're insane." Gabriel sighed, shaking his head.

"Anyway, where's my food?" Just as Catherine finished, the bell rang behind her brother.

"Order! Mushroom burger meal!" A cook shouted from the kitchen. Gabirel took the tray and gave it to Catherine.

"Thank you, slave. This must be how it feels to be served." Catherine said as she took a bite of the burger. "…It's a bit salty."

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Catherine slammed her alarm clock off as she begrudgingly woke up from her bed. "Ugh, why did I even drink that beer?" She grunted as she walked to the bathroom. After washing herself clean and wearing her chef's uniform, she walked to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for herself and Gabriel. Her brother was still sleeping, seeing that his room was untouched. His shift starts at 1PM and ends at 1 AM. As she prepared French toast, she couldn't help but continuously glance at the deed that was stuck to the refrigerator door thanks to a magnet. 'Wow, I'm going to have a hell of an adventure next month.' She thought as she bit on her toast. After making another for her sleeping brother, she departed from her house and hailed a taxi to the hotel she works in.

Catherine was immediately greeted by the receptionists as she stepped foot inside. She greeted them back with the usual bow and gave handshakes to managers. She made her way to the grand kitchen where her chef colleagues and busboys were preparing the dough for today's breakfast. "Good morning, chef." The workers greeted her when she opened the door.

"Good morning to you all." Catherine replied, walking to one of the chefs. "Mr. Alek, how's the dough going?" she asked.

"We're currently kneading the dough. It'll ferment in the next hour." Mr. Alek replied. Catherine leaned to the large metal bowl where the dough was stored and gave a sniff. Knowing that it was ready, she gave a nod.

"Keep up the good work, Mr. Alek. I have to announce something." She said. Immediately, everyone's attention turned to her as she walked to the center of the kitchen. "Hi, Iffy!" She chirped when she saw her student enter the kitchen.

"Chef, please." Iftekharul grunted as he placed his bag in his locker and gathered with the others.

"I, uh… have something to announce. It may be sad for some of you or maybe happy because to be honest, I kinda acted like a douchbag to some of you." Catherine continued. "…I'm leaving." Immediately the kitchen was surrounded with mumbles of confusion and shock.

"Chef, you're not kidding, right?" Mr. Argonev asked. Catherine shook her head in response.

"I'm not. My grandfather has given me the duty to take care of his farm in the southern coast. You all know that it's the place with the nearest beach, which is seven hours from here. Due to this, I will have to leave the hotel."

"Do you mean that you'll quit cooking?" Mr. Belinski asked.

"Quit? Of course not, Mr. Belinski! Cooking has been what's keeping me alive for so long! The main reason I'm leaving this hotel is because…" Catherine lowered her voice to nearly a whisper. "…I want to get out of Joja's influence." Everyone nodded in recognition. All the chefs who worked here were in the same situation.

"But chef, will you be leaving today?" Iftekharul asked.

"I won't, fortunately for you. I will be working here until the New Year's Eve. Just because I'm leaving then doesn't mean that we'll slack off, though." Everybody nodded in agreement. "Even during my last days here and after I'm gone, we have to stay diligent! Remember, you're not working here to satisfy our superiors; you're working to satisfy our customers!"

"That's right!" All the chefs exclaimed at one.

"That's the chef team that I'm talking about!" Catherine cheered. "Alright, let's get back to work! Hotel visitors come at 9 o'clock sharp!"She added as everybody returned to their stations including her.

It was approximately 9:24 in the morning after five conventional orders done when Catherine noticed the familiar family sit down on the table. As usual, her mind locked her eyes on the raven-haired man as he ordered his food from the menu to the waitress. The waitress then entered the kitchen and yelled "Order up!" and posted the paper on the wall. Catherine swiftly snatched it from the wall and gave it a read.

'4x Croissant w/ Cranberry Sauce

1x Addenell Bruschetta (4-serv) '

'Yeah, I can do this.' Catherine thought as she immediately went to work. Her station was soon filled with aroma and banging of spoons, pots and pans as she mixed the ingredients for the sauce and kneaded the now fermented dough into croissants. As she worked, Iftekharul approached her. "What's up, Iffy? No order right now?" She asked, sensing his presence.

"Chef, I really don't appreciate that." Iftekharul grunted.

"I'm sorry, I just want to say it until I leave." Catherine giggled. "Anyway, what's up?"

"Chef, it's… uh… when you're gone, what am I… I mean, we going to do?" Iftekharul asked with concern. His teacher nodded with understanding.

"Iftekharul, you do know that whenever a queen bee dies in a hive, a new one is always hatched, right?"

"Yes, chef."

"Well, how are queens born?" She asked, knowing that her student used to enroll in biology classes.

"Well, the worker bees feed a hatchling with more royal jelly than any other hatchlings."

"Correct, Iffy." Catherine said as she rolled another croissant dough.

"…But I don't understand."

"You soon will. Any other questions?"

"What are you going to do? Will you be only farming?"

"What? Of course not!" Catherine said with hearty laugh. "As I told you all before, Iffy, cooking is what I live for. I'll make vlogs and blogs about food and… hell, I'll think about opening my own restaurant if my farm is established enough! A chef's dream is his or her own restaurant, you know!" She said as she pushed the tray filled with croissants into the oven.

"Of course, chef." Iftekharul concurred. Just as he was about to ask another question, a "Order Up!" rang through the kitchen.

"That's yours! Come on!" Catherine said as she patted her student's back. When he was gone, she gave a sigh. 'I still wonder why this hotel doesn't have breakfast buffet.' She thought. When everything was ready including her bruschetta, Catherine rang the bell, making a waiter take her food and send it to the family's table. Little did people know that she was secretly making pumpkin stew for them. When it was ready, she poured it into a bowl, prepared four bowls and spoons and exited the kitchen. By the time she arrived at her table, the waiter had already set up the plates and walked away.

"Oh, aren't you the chef that served us?" The red-haired woman asked.

"Yes, ma'am." Catherine replied. She faced the raven-haired man and started to blush. "Th… this is… s..s.. service." She stuttered as she lowered the large bowl of pumpkin stew on the table. She immediately noticed the raven-haired man's face heat up.

"Wow, thank you so much!" He complimented. Catherine sheepishly bowed and walked back into the kitchen. "How did she know that this is my favorite?" She heard the man say.

 **...**

 **A/N: Hello! Back again with a new chapter! Sorry about the wait, I just started a new job that has kept me very busy, but i have a few days off that maybe Aperture and I can work on a few new chapters for you guys!**

 **TTFN~**

 **Ta ta for now~**

 **Xoxo**

 **Marina Rose**


	3. Here's To The New Year

Within what seemed like the blink of an eye fall passed, as did winter and it was now the day before Cathrine was scheduled to leave for Stardew Valley. The hotel was ever the same, although her going away party was scheduled to take up most of the night. It was mostly happy feelings that filled her, she sould be starting anew and with her own goals, and passions would be put before someone else. Although she would miss her favorite apprentice Iftekharul.

Cathrine smiled charmingly at the fellow chefs that passed her by, Iftekharul would like her good-bye present she had prepared for him. She couldn't wait to see the look on his face when she told him!

The last few hours of working for the Joja Corperation flew by quickly, the orders being filled as fast she as saw them pop up, her skilled and deft fingers moved in practiced motions. Soon the hotel resturant was closed for the most part and they were free to enjoy themselves and begin to say their farewells. Cathrine gave all the chefs that she had worked with a heart felt hug, resisting the tears that began to well up in her eyes.

"I'll miss you all!" She told them as they grew close to the witching hour. "You all will have to come visit once I get settled in!"

Iftekharul had a playful frown on his face, "I'll take you up on that offer!" He handed her a small package, placing both of her hands over it, "This is a little house warming gift from me."

Cathrine's heart warmed and she pulled into another hug, "I'll miss you Iffy!" She pulled back, "That's why I'm so glad I picked you." She said with a playful smile.

"Picked me for what?" Iftekharul asked, face full of confusion.

Cathrine walked to the middle of the room and tapped a fork to her glass gaining the attention of the whole room. "I have an announcement I would like to make everyone!"

Once she was sure that everyone was listening she spoke again, "I would like to appoint Iftekharul as the new head chef as my replacement!"

As Iftekharul's jaw dropped so did the ball bringing in the new year, and she began her new life with laughter.

Upon dismissal, Catherine walked straight to the Olde Smith Club and met with Gabriel. The club bar was bustling with people that had just celebrated the new years. The scent of bread and yeast welcomed the now former master chef along with the numerous book authors bidding her happy new years. Catherine returned the joy to them and sat on her usual seat on the counter where her brother worked.

"Look who's here. The fallen star." Gabriel joked, flicking his cocktail shaker through his wrist.

"Hey, at least I'm not Joja's property anymore." Catherine replied.

"I know. That's one thing that I'm glad about, sis. Say didn't you eat dinner?"

"I did. Thanks, Gabby. I just want…" The chef hesitated.

"…want?"

"You know what? Screw it! Give me your best cocktail!" She laughed. "It's my last day in this club and I want the best of what this club can throw at me!"

"Whatever." Gabriel shrugged, and he began working on the cocktail. He mixed this beverage with that and shook it with his shaker. He threw it in the air, caught it, and twirled it around like a helicopter blade. Catherine was so mesmerized of how much her brother grew up. He was so talented at this part. If he wasn't her brother, she would definitely ask him out. Within a few seconds, Gabriel grabbed a cocktail glass and poured what Catherine thought was the most beautiful thing she had currently saw: A multicolored liquid of blue, green, pink and purple sparkled in the triangular glass with a parasol and a cute little palm tree floating on it. "That's the Amazonian Jungle Radiance for you, Cath." Gabriel said, placing the glass on the counter.

"Thank you."

"Don't think about getting wasted." Gabriel warned. Catherine simply giggled as she sipped on her drink. It was so sweet. She could taste a tang of vodka and mango juice.

"I'm going to miss this place so much." Catherine sighed.

"You don't have to leave, you know."

"Too late, Gabby. I already resigned from the hotel. I can't wait to start my new life. Oh, how I can officially call myself an organic chef after a few years… It will be great! I'll start my own restaurant and… ugh! It's going to be amazing!" The chef imagined. Gabriel simply gave a sigh and walked away from her to serve his other guests.

It was the next morning when Gabriel woke up feeling unusually groggier than before. Could it be cause of the cocktail that she drank? God knows. She washed up and wore her clothes. Today was the day when she would leave the city for Stardew Valley. She exited her room to find something surprising. Her brother was cooking her breakfast!

"Good morning, sis." Gabriel said. "It's not fair that you're taking the computer with you."

"You have a laptop at least!" Catherine giggled as she sat on the dining chair. Her brother placed down a plate full of eggs and buttered toast. "Wow, I never knew you could cook!"

"Cath, being a bartender doesn't mean that I only make drinks. I also had to take some cooking lessons just to join the Olde Smith Club!" He tossed a newspaper to his sister. "Take a look." Curious, Catherine unfolded the newspaper of the Ferngill Times. What awaited her in the front article gave her a sigh.

MASTER CHEF CATHERINE ADDENELL RESIGNS FROM THE GOLDEN PARADISE HOTEL!

"I told you about the crazy news stuff." Gabriel reminded once sitting down.


	4. To The Valley

Catherine spent the morning watching her brother try to finish the last piece of burnt toast he made as he had offered so graciously to make her break fast. As she stacked the empty plates with skill she had developed as a waitress when she was younger, Gabriel began to mess with her, taking pictures of her at unflattering angles and messing with the ends of her hair.

She placed the plates in the sink and shooed him away with a laugh.

"...I'm keeping the car." Gabriel said as Catherine washed the plates. She shrugged. What's the point of the car when there are no paved roads in a small town? Now that she thought about it, she was probably going to have to walk everywhere. Well, at least she'd get more exercise...

"Your toast was burnt anyway." Catherine joked, sticking her tongue out at her brother.

"I'm a bartender, not a chef." He shot back, shaking his head and putting his hands up in the air.

"Didn't you say that you need to learn how to cook before being a staff of Olde Smith?" Catherine asked, a smirk crossing her face.

"...but I'm not cooking, am I?" Gabriel looked sheepish for a second before looking down to play on his phone.

"You just cooked me breakfast!" She laughed at his expression and took the phone out of his hands.

"Cath, just… just shut up." Gabriel finally snapped, his cheeks turning slightly pink at her teasing. The chef giggled at the banter they were in just before.

"Bus is going to leave in an hour. Will you be a good brother and drive me to the terminal?" Catherine asked, trying to use her nicest voice.

"How about no?" He frowned and snatched his phone back, holding up and out of her reach as she made a grab for it.

"Pleeeeaaaassse?" Catherine whined, trying her best to make puppy dog eyes and pouted her lips. She could see her brother's disgusted face as he frowned. He squeezed his eyes shut and looked away.

The puppy dog eyes wouldn't work this time! They didn't affect him anymore! He cracked his eye open to see if she was still doing it and was confronted with the full force of the cruel puppy dog eyes. Damn it! They still work on him even after all these years...

"Fine, fine!" He crossed his arms, tucking the phone away from his sister's nimble fingers. "Remind me to hack your blog and close it down for good." Gabriel scoffed. The chef burst into laughter before walking away to get her bags. "I'll get the engine warm. Get your stuff ready in five minutes or the Pizza ain't free." He said before walking out of the apartment with his car keys.

Catherine had woken up early to have her bags already packed and in a great mood, humming to herself as she was in the middle of organizing her bags when her phone had alerted her that she had received a message. She sort of danced her way over the dresser where her phone and charger lay, she swiped her finger over the screen and quickly typed in the pin. Her fingers moved quickly to open the message and saw that it was from her brother. No sooner than she had opened the message when two more popped up.

 _Gabriel_

holy cow7:15AM

sis7:15AM

what have you done?7:15AM

She tilted her head, and wondered aloud, "What is he talking about?" She leaned back against the dresser and used both hands to type out her response. What had happened in the few minutes since he left the apartment?

 _Catherine_

what?7:16AM

She didn't wait long as his reply was almost immediate.

 _Gabriel_

there are journalists in the parking lot 7:16AM

just good job7:17AM

good fucking job7:17AM

Unbelievable. Just before the chef thought that she would be in tranquility, the mainstream media had to interfere! She wondered briefly on just how they had found her address, but dismissed it just as briefly as it was the media. Of course they found it.

Catherine peered out the window of her apartment, looking down at the swarming reporters that surrounded the building. One would think that a chef wouldn't be such a big deal? A mistake in her thinking, she sighed and let the curtain fall softly back into place. The clock on the wall ticking along mutely as the time for the departure of her bus grew near, Catherine racked her brain on a way to ditch the paparazzi.

Just before she touched the doorknob, Catherine paused and thought. What would happen if she didn't answer the journalists? Would she receive a backlash? If she told them about her whereabouts, people would flock to The Valley, thus her tranquility would be gone! If she didn't, however, she would receive backlash. She just wanted to have a fresh start where no one knew her and there was no pressure to keep up her appearance.

Oh, the dilemma she was facing. It was as if she was choosing between hell or hell. Both choices are bad. It felt like there was just no way to win...

'Wait, I can just censor some stuff!' She thought. Confidence surged inside the chef once again, she took a steady breath before reaching out to grab the door handle; she opened the door.

Well, so much for confidence as it flew away as soon as Catherine saw the horde of journalists holding microphones, cameras and notepads. They circled her almost immediately, the cold lenses and microphones filling her vision, her hands gripped the strap of her bag tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force. She blinked heavily at the flashes of light from the cameras began to blind her.

"Why did you retire from the Golden hotel?"

"What do you have to say for the food critics that adored your cooking?"

"Where are you going?"

"Are you going to establish your own restaurant?"

Catherine's mind spun around by how many questions were being asked simultaneously, from all different directions. She felt a strong hand on her back as she heard Gabriel say 'no comment' loud and clear. She looked back at him as he placed his jacket over her head to protect her from the bright, blinding flashes of the cameras. He gave her a smile before returning to the stone face expression to deal with the mass of people.

The love for her brother surged in her chest and she moved with him as he moved to the car and closed the door behind her. He took her baggage to put in the trunk and then running to get in the driver's seat. He maneuvered the vehicle out of the throng of people and out to the road, which was not an easy task with all the news vans littering the way to the main road.

Once she was sure that there were no more reporters she took the jacket off off her head. She smiled gratefully at Gabriel, "Thank you, bro."

He grinned and looked over at her for a second, "You owe me one~" he teased, laughing slightly.

"Suuuure." Catherine smiled back, the pressure on her chest that she felt moments before was gone and was replaced with a warm fuzzy feeling.

They spent the rest of the car ride singing along to the radio, making silly jokes about each other. Neither wanted to admit just how much they were going to miss each other, but both knew what each other was feeling.

Too soon they arrived at the bus terminal, Gabriel turned the engine off when he parked the car in the lot. They got out of the car, Catherine grabbing her small bag from the back seat and her phone out of the cup holder. Gabriel went to the trunk and begrudgingly helped carry his sister's baggage to the bus gates. The two waited a few minutes in awkward silence until Catherine's bus was now preparing to depart.

"So, what do you have to say about you sister leaving?" She asked, not looking at him, her gaze on her bag. If she looked at him she might cry...

"Happy as fuck." Gabriel replied, grinning. The teasing in his tone washed away any sasd thoughts she held causing the chef heartily laughed in response.

"You know that I took care of you when mom passed away eight years ago, right?" Her smile turned reminiscent.

"Still. You treated me like a baby and and damn right I'm happy to be alone." Gabriel pouted slightly, feeling slightly off out that she brought it up.

"Who cooked your food? Did the dishes? Cleaned the floors?" With Catherine's question, Gabriel sealed his mouth shut. She was right. While he was going to school and doing his homework, she was busy earning money by being a busboy and a waitress. He could remember the long nights of studying and hearing her come in after a twelve hour shift and the dark circles that always were under eyes.

"Touché." The bartender surrendered, his eyes downcast.

"Bus 8173 will depart in five minutes." The terminal speaker blurred out.

"Look, be a good guy and take good care of the apartment, okay? Don't spend too much time on Overwatch. Learn how to do chores and that'll make your sister proud!" Catherine said, not wanting to leave on such a dour mood.

"Yes, mom." Gabriel grunted. a small smile working its way onto his face with her worrying.

"Now, will you be a good brother and give me a hug?"

"Nononononononononononononono." Gabriel jokingly refused, but the chef threw herself to him anyway. "Disgusting." He said as he wrapped his arms around her anyway.

"I'll miss you!" Catherine said before walking into the bus.

Gabriel smiled and waved her good-bye. He watched as she climbed onto the bus and waited for it to leave before he got in the car.

Yes, he would miss her too...

The bus ride was tranquil with the exception of the rumbling engine against the rough terrain. Catherine enjoyed watching the scenery change from the mundane gray of the city to the lush and vivid greens of the countryside. As time passed, along with each bus stop, people started to exit the bus one by one until she was the only passenger remaining. She was on the verge of falling asleep when she saw the marker sign,'Stardew Valley 2 Miles' pass by. She was almost there, her heart sped up in anticipation. She made sure to take some pictures of the scenery and the sign for her blog post.

The bus stopped at a Pygmy station. There was no sign of technological things in the background and everything was silent except for the birds. The modern hum of city was far behind her and replaced with the soft seranade of the crickets. Catherine thanked the bus driver before disembarking the vehicle. She watched as the bus drove away from the station, turn around and head back to where they came from into the tunnel. The chef looked around her. She had never seen so much green around her. Birds of various colors were singing and the sun soothed her cheeks with rays of warmth. The warm spring air was so welcoming unlike the uncomfortable heat of city. Winter was over and all the snow had melted away.

"Oh, you must be the new farmer!" A voice called from behind.

'So much for mesmerization.' Catherine thought as she turned around to find a red-haired woman possibly in her late forties.

Wait, this woman looked familiar. Not only in looks, but voice.

"I'm Robin, the local carpenter. What's your name?" Oh boy, the most difficult part when you're trying to by anonymous as a celebrity.

"Oh, I'm…" Catherine stuttered. Should she make a false name? Just don't say her last name? Maybe. Instead of just saying… "...Catherine Addenell." God damnit. She blurted out what she was thinking. Taking a swallow, she awaited the fallout as she saw Robin's face immediately change.

"Wait, excuse me?" The carpenter asked. "A-are you saying that… you're THAT chef?" Seeing that there was no point of return, Catherine nodded, plastering a fake smile on her face.

"Oh Yoba! I can't believe it! You're the one who served my family dinner and breakfast! I still remember that spaghetti and bruschetta!"

"Well, to be honest, I enjoyed making them." The chef sheepishly nodded. "Look, ma'am. I came here because I wanted to get out of Joja's influence and take a rest from fame. It's annoying to have journalists and paparazzis hunting you down." Robin nodded at Catherine's words. "Can you promise me and keep this between us two? Nobody in the city knows that I'm here."

"Of course, Ms. Addenell!" Robin chirped before clearing her throat. "Anyway, Mayor Lewis sent me here to get you. I'll lead you to Demeter Farm." With that, Robin took the heaviest bags and lead Catherine west to a path with the sign that said 'Demeter Farm'

When they arrived, Catherine was greeted by…

Wait, what the hell?

The entire farmland was littered with rocks, wood and tall grass. Trees grew everywhere to the point the land looked more like a forest rather than a farm. The farmhouse was just a simple cottage that was barely big enough for a single room. Catherine's jaw dropped to the ground.

'What. The. Fuck?' She wondered in her mind.

"What's wrong?" Robin turned around and asked. The chef didn't even reply. "Sure, it's a bit overgrown, but the there's good soil underneath!" Just as the carpenter finished, the cottage door opened, revealing a senior man wearing a green formal shirt, suspended pants, a tie and a peasant's cap. He looked like he was on his early seventies and had a mustache that almost resembled Super Mario.

"Ah, the new farmer…" the man said in a rough Irish brough, but stopped when he closely inspected Catherine. "H'ng on a second… you look familiar."

"Excuse me?" Catherine asked, trying to keep her straight face. She acted as if she was confused, but in reality, she was worried if he knew her true identity.

"I think I r'member Gus talking about… my, you're Chef Addenell!" He said and pointed a finger in her direction, a smile lighting his face.

Too late. He knows. Catherine gave a sigh of defeat as the man ran down the porch and shook her hand. "My name is Lewis, mayor of Pelican Town! It is an utmost honor to meet you!"

"H-how did you know?"

"Of course, of course! The saloon owner here told me a lot about you! He has an entire magazine about you!"

"Oh, the Chef's Digest?"

"Why, yes! Oh, how depressed he was when he read the news about your resignation."

"Okay, Mr. Lewis." Catherine stopped him there. "I understand that you're happy to have me here, but can you do me a favor?" She took his hand with both of hers to show how earnest she was being.

"Go ahead." Lewis said in a puzzled tone.

"Can you keep this a secret between us three? I came here to hide from the media, not get more attention. Just don't say my last name and we're all fine." A short pause followed before Lewis nodded.

"Well, very well. I'll keep this a secret."

 **...**

 **A/N: And we're back with a new chapter! Sorry for the late update everyone, my schedule has been very busy and haven't been able to work on any of my writing projects. Hopefully soon we'll be back with another update!**

 **Thank you for your support!**

 **TTFN~ Ta ta for now~**

 **Xoxo**

 **Marina Rose**


End file.
